Friday, July 9, 2010

Late Breaking News!

There is a large bur oak, Quercus macrocarpa, straddling the lot line between the in-laws and us. It was about the size of the Nelson sycamore, but with way more mass to the branches. In the storm it shed a branch that was about two feet across where it broke off. We knew the branch was hollow because wood ducks nested up there in a cavity. When it snapped off we feared that the whole tree was hollow.

They just finished cutting off the stub. Doctor Chainsaw in the cherry picker just pronounced the tree sound, good for another 250 years. High fives all around! I ain't takin' no more pictures of no more trees no more.

6 comments:

I had a big argument with a publisher about the spelling of burr oak. Apparently there are two accepted spellings, or one or the other, depending on where you live. the biggest burr oak in the world, I think, or at least in Missouri, is near the Katy Trail outside of Columbia. I used to piss on it often when I was a smart ass kid drunk on beer. Later I was regretful and respectful toward it. mw

michael,I'd give you "burr" if I thought it was named after a Founding Father, but as I think it was named after the fringed cap I'm going with "bur". You may spell it incorrectly if you chose, as you carry a literary license.

This one was my daughter's special individual tree for a middle school report. It's still big, but a bit lopsided, beat up and the worse for wear - standing there haggard, like a one-armed old soldier.